Moving-picture machine.



H. S. MILLS.

MOVING PICTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. a, 1908.

91 6,75 1 Patented Mar. 30, 1909.

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To all whom it may concern:

'nnrrnn STATES HERBERT S. MILLS OF "CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. I

. MOVING-PICTURE MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March so, 1909.

Application filed October 3, 1908. Serial No. 456,050.

Be it known that l, HERBERT s MlLLs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Moving-Picture Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to facilitate the feeding of the film under the feeding action of the intermittent movement in a moving-picture machine by providing, to coeperate with means on the machine for tautening the film whereit traverses the lens, means operating to free the film with each action of said movement.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a view showing in front elevation a machine for exhibiting moving pictures, provided with my improvement, and Fig. 2 is a section on line 2, Fig. 1.

.The machine selected for illustrating-my improvement, and, in fact, with reference to which I have more particularly devised it, is-

that shown and described in the patent of H. K. Sandell, for a moving picture machine, No. 890,936, dated June 16, 1908, from which the present drawings differ only in minor details. 7

The frame 3, provided with a cheek-extension/l, has the lens-barrel 5 on it to register its tapering end with the opening 6 in the frame for directing light into the lens.

The drive-shaft 7 journaled in the frame carries on one end a master-gear 8 meshing with a gear 9 onja shaft 10 journaled in the upper part of the frame and carrying the guidingbarrel 11 for the film 12. This barrel is geared at one end to a shaft carrying, in en-' gagement with the barrel 11, a sprocketbarrel 14 for engaging the edge-perforations 1 of the film 1n continuously feeding the latter,

the shaft 13, on which the barrel is rotatable, being rigidly mounted on a swinging arm 15. On the cheek 4 is pivotally suspended at 16 a yoke 17 formed as a rigid part of a rectangularfilm-clamping spring-frame 1 8 which hangs over the light-admitting opening 6. This opening is'flanked by inserts 19 formed of steel strips with which the sides of the frame 18 =CO1IlCld6, and in these sides, near their u per ends, work with slight longitudinal pay,limited by the headson their outer ends, studs 20 carrying steel strips 21 to clamp the film-edges against said inserts for maintaining the filmin taut condition where it covers the opening 6. Another stud 22 extends from about midway between the ends of each frame-side through a boss 23 formed thereon and in which is confined against the respective strip 22 a spiral spring 24 adjustable as to its tension by a screw 25 working in the boss.

In the particulars described and in all other particulars the construction .of the frame 18 corresponds substantially with that of the film-clamping frame of the aforesaid patent, including a latch 26 pivoted on the frame 3 to releasably'engage an car 27 on the clam ing-frame or gate to lock the latter in its ilm-olamping position. The intermittent movement 28 shown in the drawings is also the same as that of the aforesaid patent, so that its construction and operation in intermittently feedin the film need notbe minutely described erein. The film passes from the coil thereof (not shown, but all as shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 887431, dated May 12, 1908) about the sprocket 14, and between the latter and the barrel 11, adjacent to which it forms the loop 29, thence past thespring-pressed guide-barrel 30 across the opening 6 between the inserts 19 and frame 18 and between sprin -pressed rollers 30 at the bottom of t e c amping-frame and the sprockets 31 on the shaft 32 of the star-wheel member of said movement, all as described in said first named patent.

O'n the shaft 33 of the driving-member of the movement 28, and which is geared to the shaft 7, as'shown, .is provided a cam 34 engaging with an anti-friction roller 35 journaled in the lower end of an arm 36 pivotally suspended on the shaft 7, said arm having fingers 38 extending into abutting engagement with the clamping strips 21 near their lower ends. With this device, which constitutes the feature of my invention, each time the movement feeds by its intermittent action the film across the lens-barrel at the opening 6, at the beginning of the complete rotation of the driving-member on the shaft 33, the cam 34 turns the armg36 to forcethe strips 21, against the resistance of the springs 24, away from the film-edges, thereby releasing the film from-the clam ing engagement Jtherewith of the gate an What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is I 1. In a moving-picture machine, the combination with a frame supporting guidingn eans for the film 'and'containing an opening for directing light into. a lens-harrei on the frame, 01"? a spring-pressed film-clamping gate suspended on the frame to hang over said opening therein, a star wheei movement anddriving means therefor on the frame for intermittently feeding the film past said open ing, a eam on the driving-member of said movement, and a-suspended swinging arm on the frame engaging at its free endwith said cam and having iingeis extending from it into engagement with said gate, for the purpose set forth.

' 2. In a moving-picture machine, the combination With a framesupporting'guidingmeans for the film andeontaining an opening for directing light into a lens-barrel on the frame, of insert-strips in the sides of said opening, afilm-elamping gate suspended on theframe to hang over said opening therein and having spring-pressed strips movabiy supported on its sides to engage said inserts,

a star-Wheel movement and driving means therefor on the frame for mterm1ttentiyfeeding the film ast said o nening a cam on the driving-mem er of said movement, and a suspended swinging armon the frame engaging at its free end with said cam and having fingers extending from it against said stri s in opposition to their spring-pressure, for t 1e purpose set forth.

HERBERT S. MILLS.

In presence of I K. M. CORNIVTALL, R. A.' .SCHAEFEE. 

